What’s in Your Home Environment Can Be Making You Sick - Biological Pathogens

Graphic provided courtesy of AirAdvice, Inc.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With all the fuss about President-elect Obama’s daughter, Malia, having allergies and needing a hypoallergenic dog, it got me to thinking about allergies and environmental conditions in general, which was the inspiration for what will be a three-part series of the issue.

When we consider the elements in our home environments-the animals, the paint on the walls, the furnishings, linens, cleaning solvents, and general maintenance- we also need to consider our family members’ sensitivities to these conditions.

With this in mind, I found a great study that I wanted to share called “Indoor Air Pollution,” which was a collaborative effort between the American Lung Association, the Environmental Protection Association, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the American Medial Association. The following issues that will be covered (each in a separate installment), are health problems caused by:

• Mold, Dust Mites and Other Biological Pathogens
• Volatile Organic Compounds (Formaldehyde, Pesticides, Solvents, and Cleaning Agents)
• Airborne Lead

Our discussion will begin in this installment with the various biological pathogens that can affect us in an environment.

Key signs and symptoms of illness attributed to these biological pathogens can include the following:

• Chest Tightness
• Cough
• Exacerbation of Asthma
• Recurrent Fever
• Dyspnea - the difficulty of breathing or painful breathing.
• Rhinitis - caused by chronic or acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose due to viruses, bacteria or irritants. The most common symptom is a runny nose.
• Conjunctival Inflammation (Active Trachoma) - an infectious eye disease, spread by direct contact to the eyes from other objects such as hands, wash clothes, etc.
• Malaise - a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness

Especially important in the transmission of the biological pathogens is the level of humidity in the indoor environment. A humidity level of over 50 percent can encourage house dust mite populations to increase, and allows fungal growth on damp surfaces.

Mite and fungus contamination can also be initially caused by factors such as flooding, continually damp carpets (which may occur when the carpet is installed on poorly ventilated concrete floors), inadequate exhausts in bathrooms or kitchen-generated moisture.

Appliances such as humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air conditioners, and drip pans under cooling coils (as in refrigerators) can also support growth of bacteria and fungi.

Components of mechanical heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HAVAC) systems may also serve as reservoirs or sites of microbial amplifications. These include air intakes near potential sources of contamination such as standing water and organic debris such as bird droppings. Spreading of these biological pathogens is increased exponentially when the air circulation systems are activated.

Three diseases that have been known to have a correlation to poor indoor air quality associated with inadequate ventilation systems are: Tuberculosis, Legionnaires’ Disease, and Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis.

All of these diseases have the highest degree of incidence in locations with potentially inadequate or inappropriately designed ventilation systems such as health care settings or other crowded conditions with high-risk populations.

Things that people can do to minimize biological pathogens in their environments include:

• Regularly cleaning potentially contaminated biological pathogen growth areas.
• Providing adequate outdoor air ventilation to dilute human source aerosols.
• Repair leaks and seepages.
• Thoroughly clean and dry water-damaged carpets and building materials within 24 hours of damage, or consider removal or replacement.
• Keep relative humidity below 50 percent.
• Use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens, and vent clothes dryers to the outside.
• Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture regularly, using a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration vacuum.
• Cover mattresses.
• Wash bedding and soft toys frequently in water at a temperature of 130° F to kill dust mites.